The subject disclosure relates to non-pneumatic, or airless, tires (NPT).
Non-pneumatic, or airless, tires have historically been comprised largely of an entirely solid substance. These solid tires made the ride rather uncomfortable for passengers and caused greater damage to the suspension of a vehicle, which had to compensate for the lack of “give” in a solid tire. Eventually, it was found that putting pressurized air in tires created a more comfortable ride. However, along with their advantages, pneumatic tires still possess some drawbacks.
Loss of pressure causes the tire to flatten in the area where the load is applied, subjecting a larger portion of the tire to the load with every revolution, and leading to quicker degradation of the tire. Furthermore, a tire reliant upon pressurized air is susceptible to being punctured leading to rapid release of the pressurized air. Certain applications, such as military usage requires an NPT or run-flat tire for operation.
One recent version of NPT is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,308 entitled “Tension-based non-pneumatic tire”, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.